innovation Archives

Collage with hands shaping dough, overlapping U.S. flags, circular architectural elements, and "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top—reflecting on the AI divide woven into the fabric of American life.

The great AI divide: Europe vs. Silicon Valley

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A man, identified as Andrew Gazdecki, wears a dark hoodie with “Acquire” printed on it, standing against a beige background with multi-colored shadows behind him.

Business

Why “outrageous optimism” is your startup super-skill

Andrew Gazdecki — the founder and CEO of Acquire.com — explores the skillsets and pitfalls of selling a business. And why it’s often crucial to start all over again.

Collage featuring a man operating early computer equipment and a man in aviator goggles, with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" above them—capturing the creative sparks of innovation and adventure.

Business

The beauty of writing in public

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A collage features a man in academic regalia at a podium, a black-and-white rural village, ants, and the words “THE NIGHTCRAWLER” in bold text at the top, evoking the art of reason amid contrasting scenes.

Business

Meet the philosopher outsmarting me since kindergarten

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A digital collage features the title "THE NIGHTCRAWLER," a robotic dog inspired by China tech, vintage storefronts, and abstract purple geometric shapes.

Business

A postcard from the frontlines of China’s tech boom

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Book cover of "Epic Disruptions" by Scott D. Anthony, featuring bold, stacked text and an orange lightning bolt—evoking the spirit of innovators like Mark Zuckerberg; left side reads "an excerpt from" on an orange background.

Business

Gutenberg to Zuckerberg: How to handle disruption without hitting an iceberg

Even when leaders know disruption is a smart long-term decision, the pain of transition can produce a titanic shambles. Just ask Kodak.

Black and white portrait of Alex Osterwalder with glasses and facial hair, framed against a graphic background featuring striking orange, white, and beige geometric patterns.

Business

How to bust the innovation myth

Strategyzer CEO Alex Osterwalder on why entrepreneurs should take a leaf from Amazon’s innovation playbook.

A man speaking into a microphone, an illustration of a person with a bun near Japanese text, and Kevin Kelly, a bearded man, are overlaid with red geometric shapes under the title "THE NIGHT CRAWLER.

Business

What AI can never replace

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A collage features people using phones, a vintage courtroom scene, and a close-up of mechanical watch parts under tweezers, exploring ancestral bonds, with the title "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.

Business

Inside my study of the world’s oldest companies

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Split image: Left side has the words "an excerpt from" on a red background; right side features the book cover "There's Got to Be a Better Way" by Repenning & Kieffer, highlighting insights on dynamic work design with a butterfly illustration.

Business

Learn the 5 core principles of “dynamic work design”

MIT Sloan’s Nelson P. Repenning and Donald C. Kieffer outline their tried-and-tested solution for stubborn workflow blockages.

A grayscale portrait of Caterina Fake is centered between an FDNY ambulance on the left and patterned designs with circular symbols on the right.

Business

Essential skills for “weird times”: How internet pioneer Caterina Fake keeps it real

Venture capitalist and Flickr co-founder Caterina Fake talks to Big Think about why AI won’t make the internet better, her influences beyond tech, and more.

A storytelling collage featuring a man inspecting barrels, a person holding a skull mask, another man observing the mask, and the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" in bold black and orange.

Business

Exceptional storytelling and the myth of superhuman AI

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

John Candeto, in a white shirt, smiles while sitting outdoors near stone steps and green potted plants.

The Long Game

The John Candeto interview: Bigger dreams and the colossal effect of “power laws”

Fund manager and writer John Candeto is on a mission to decode the hidden patterns that drive extraordinary outcomes.

A grayscale portrait of David Senra is centered on a collage background featuring a marble statue, abstract black-and-white swirls, and purple book spines.

Business

The David Senra interview: “Use history as a form of leverage”

The host of the Founders podcast joins Big Think for a chat about success, obsession, business genius, human nature, and more.

A collage with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER," featuring a hand holding money, coins, and a windowed building, all tinted in pink and black tones.

Business

Money as the dark matter of the Universe

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

The image shows the cover of the book "Me, My Customer & AI" by Henrik Werdelin and Nicholas Thorne alongside the text "an excerpt from," set on a split blue and green background, hinting at the future of headless agents in business.

Business

How Dell’s membrane paved the way for “headless agents”

In the post-AI startup landscape, the role of the entrepreneur will evolve from operator to orchestrator. Are you ready?

Collage with a man in a suit, stacked mugs, an upside-down creature, dice, and the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top on a dark grid background—hinting at the power of intuition amid surreal imagery.

Business

The importance of intuition and the limits of rationalism

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

A graphic with the text "an excerpt from" beside the book cover of "The Cybernetic Society" by Amir Husain, featuring a cityscape, robotic arms, and a nod to the rise of the modern cybernetic corporation.

Business

Why your next CEO could be a machine

Are you ready for the “cybernetic corporation”? Amir Husain “profiles” the hottest company of 2035 — and makes a telling comparison with Nvidia.

A graphic titled "The Night Crawler" features grayscale and red-tinted images of two men, one writing and one smiling—possibly Brad Feld—overlaid on a grid background with abstract shapes.

Business

The art of mentorship and long-term thinking

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Halftone close-ups of a person's smiling mouth and eyes, with a small silhouette of people climbing a hill—evoking the adventurous spirit of Brad Feld—set against abstract backgrounds.

The Long Game

The Brad Feld interview: Meaning, mentorship, and giving first

A conversation with the legendary VC on his latest book, his work at Techstars, and why “give first” is more than a motto — it’s a mindset.

A collage featuring an open book, a light source, and images of the moon captures post-AI wisdom, with the title "The Night Crawler" at the top.

Business

Creating wisdom infrastructure for the next 100 years

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Book cover for "The Generalist Advantage" by Mansoor Soomro, PhD, next to text reading "an excerpt from," all set against a light green background—highlighting the value of generalist superpowers.

Business

The 6 superpowers of generalists: Leadership gold dust

From Apple to Airbnb to OpenAI the generalist mindset has been an invaluable source of advantage — and we can all learn from these successes.

Collage featuring a snail, two hands gripping a baton symbolizing succession, and a boat, overlaid on a pink and black grid pattern with the text "THE NIGHTCRAWLER" at the top.

Business

Inside the subtle art of succession

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Book cover for "Shoveling $H!T: A Love Story About The Entrepreneur's Messy Path To Success" by Kass and Mike Lazerow, featuring a shovel and dirt pile—highlighting every pivot masterstroke. Text reads “an excerpt from.”.

Business

How the startup “pivot” can become a billion-dollar masterstroke

If your world-beating idea is not working you might need to change direction — and Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom provides the perfect case study.

Abstract illustration of tall, grid-patterned skyscrapers interspersed with textured blue marble-like panels evokes a sense of innovation, reminiscent of a blue ocean strategy, set against a light background.

Business

“Blue ocean strategy”: The red thread connecting Apple with Yellow Tail

When organizations focus on finding new markets, the returns can be spectacular — as a case study from Australia perfectly illustrates.

A grayscale collage features a smiling woman, a silhouetted figure with outstretched arms, and the title "The Nightcrawler" at the top. Geometric shapes and architectural sketches, inspired by Shannon Vallor's work, are layered in the background.

Business

AI vs. humans: A question of humanity

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Two glowing spheres connected by a thin line suggest a quantum link above a red, knotted rope, with abstract wave patterns in the background.

The Long Game

The “quantum long game”

A meditation on quantum physics, creative endurance, and the unseen forces that shape what lasts.

A grayscale portrait of a man in a suit is centered between a grid background and a photo of someone skiing on snow, symbolizing the future of collaboration. Abstract wavy patterns fill the upper center.

Business

The Snorre Kjesbu interview: “Collaboration will become truly immersive”

Snorre Kjesbu — SVP & GM of Cisco’s Employee Experience group — has a bold vision for the future of human interaction.

A collage featuring a subway train, a person in elaborate costume, stylized crows, and the text "The Nightcrawler" on a dark grid background explores the myth of leadership in an urban landscape.

Business

The myth of leadership

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.

Two men in suits stand in front of a graphic collage featuring technical drawings and a building with solar panels, overlaid with the text "The Nightcrawler," evoking innovation that stands the test of stellar age.

Business

The end of extraction and the rise of abundance

Welcome to The Nightcrawler — a weekly newsletter from Eric Markowitz covering tech, innovation, and long-term thinking.